Book Ends
by Byakuzee
Summary: 30 post-OoT/MM Zelink oneshots. Three: In which Zelda asks the age-old question, "What is this feeling in my chest?" and promptly embarrasses herself in her quest to find out the answer.
1. Beginning

I love this pairing a bit too much, so here's a dump for all the little things I wrote for them in the form of a 30 days challenge.

First few chapters describe their relationship early on, so they won't be that shippy yet. I do hope they all will be decent though.

**Prompt:** Beginning.

**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort.

**Summary:** He looked at her with different eyes, while she looked at him with the same.

* * *

**Book Ends**

Beginning

* * *

Link never thought that meeting the princess for the first time again would make him feel so aged and different.

She looked so carefree, so innocent and guiltless. He knew she was too wise for her age at the time, but he still couldn't help himself from thinking that she really was a child, a child that never experienced the bitterness of war, a child that had her entire life to live happily and peacefully.

It was hard to believe that her eyes in the future would be filled with guilt and sorrow, that her smile would seem so sad and pained, that she would be the ruler of a torn and broken land.

_Now, go home, Link. Regain your lost time!_

He knew things wouldn't ever feel or be the same; Navi left, he wasn't a Kokiri and he was on his own this time around.

_Still_, he thought as the princess told him about her suspicions regarding Ganondorf, _I'm still grateful._

The princess tried her best to give him his life back - a life, he later realized, was already damaged beyond repair before his quest even began. He watched in an odd grief as she played her lullaby, wondering if he could perhaps embrace her before leaving, if he could assure her that he didn't blame her for her actions, if he could tell her that she really didn't need to ask forgiveness from him.

_Thank you... Link... Goodbye._

He never said goodbye to her; his return to the past was too sudden to think properly. He couldn't even thank her for it.

So he decided to make it up to her in this time and not allow the same events to happen again.

Smiling fondly at the princess that was in front of him, he uttered with full conviction, "I believe you, Zelda."

Perhaps the way he said her name was weird; the princess smiled back with a furious blush adorning her cheeks. Perhaps this was how it should begin; him not becoming a hero and her not becoming a sage.

_Home... where you are supposed to be... the way you are supposed to be..._

Perhaps this was the way_ they_ were supposed to be.


	2. Accusation

**Prompt:** Accusation.

**Genre:** Humor, Friendship.

**Summary:** Spreading false rumors regarding the princess had horrible consequences.

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**Book Ends**

Accusation

* * *

On a peaceful and beautiful day, while they hang around as usual in the castle's courtyards, Link casually asked, "Are you a tomboy?"

At first, Zelda wanted to ask what brought this on so suddenly, but then the question sank into her mind and she blushed in a combination of embarrassment and pure fury. "Who did you hear that from?"

"A gossip stone near the castle," he answered with a shrug.

_Oh these stones are nothing but trouble,_ she inwardly hissed, trying to compose herself. "I am, in fact, not a tomboy, Link. You shouldn't believe whatever rumor you happen to hear."

"And even if I were a tomboy," she continued, cutting off Link's reply, "what difference does it make? I'm still the princess of this country, right? Just because I like climbing on trees and riding horses and archery doesn't mean that I can't be a lady. Our society needs to stop labeling people based on their interests and instead judge them on their actions, don't you agree with me, Link?"

Link just nodded, looking utterly lost on what she was talking about.

But Zelda continued on, her rants going from one topic to another, until Link took her hand in a attempt to gain her attention.

"I'll still like you anyway. No matter what you chose to be, you'll be a good friend to me." He smiled at her reassuringly, childishness mixed with maturity she couldn't place evident in his voice.

"Thanks," she mumbled, blushing to her ears from something she still couldn't figure out what it was. "I like you too."

She wanted to deal with the stones immediately, but Link's warm hand holding hers as they walked around the castle distracted her for a while.

* * *

It was weird, Link concluded; the gossip stone that was near the castle refused to speak, as if it feared the wrath of something. And the only time he managed to get a word out of it, it said, "They say that gossiping is a rude habit to acquire."

Maybe Zelda knew what happened.


	3. Restless

**Prompt:** Restless.

**Genre:** Humor, Friendship, some Romance?

**Summary: **In which Zelda asks the age-old question, "What is this feeling in my chest?" and promptly embarrasses herself in her quest to find out the answer.

* * *

**Book Ends**

Restless

* * *

"You're awfully fond of him," Impa, with a rather knowing smile, noted as she escorted Zelda to her chambers after an afternoon of playing with Link. Zelda only smiled and nodded in affirmation, thinking nothing about Impa's notion.

But now that she was all alone in her room, she couldn't help but to think endlessly about it, and laid wide awake on her bed as a result.

Having no friends, Zelda spent most of her time in the castle bored with nothing to entertain herself with except for books. Her visions and nightmares made the noble-born children in court confused and wary of her, reluctant to give a listening ear let alone befriend her. It wasn't that surprising really, no one but Impa believed her, not even her father.

So imagine her surprise when one day, a boy sneaked into the castle and listened to her with a smile.

_"I believe you, Zelda."_

The way he said her name was so familiar, so gentle and fond and friendly. A blush crept to her cheeks when she realized that she rather liked the sound of his voice, liked the bright blue of his eyes, liked the gold of his hair.

She liked him, to an extent that getting larger and larger as the days passed.

It was weird, their friendship was only founded recently and yet she felt like she knew him for a lifetime.

Link visited her often — twice a week, in fact — and she, with all her heart, looked forward to his visits, counting the seconds before the days.

This was not normally what one would feel for a friend, and she honestly didn't know what to call it.

She decided to ask Impa the next morning; she was a wise woman so of course she would give an answer that would ease her thoughts.

* * *

"You'll understand when you get older."

… or not.

Zelda stared wide-eyed with shock at her nurse-maid, not believing that she would deny her inquiry. "Why not now?"

"If you didn't realize what you're feeling, then that means that you're too young to understand it," Impa replied, undeniably amused.

_She's talking in riddles!_ "I'm not too young to understand anything, Impa. Just please tell me why I'm feeling this way about Link," Zelda pleaded.

Impa, however, apparently had a heart of steel. "Now where's the use in that? Look for the definition in one of your books, or better yet, ask Link himself."

Zelda blushed hotly and stuttered as she reasoned, "B-But he'll think that I was being silly if I asked him!"

"You can never know if you didn't ask, right?" Impa countered sagely.

So Zelda decided to ask Link the next day.

* * *

"Maybe because we're connected by destiny?" Link suggested sheepishly, looking as confused as she was.

She doubted it, for dreams of doom weren't involved with her current train of thoughts. "What does destiny have to do with me wanting to marry you though?"

"W-What?" Link only managed to ask, face reddening to impossible shades.

"What?!" she asked back, mortified at what she blurted out.

She swore she could hear Impa laughing in the distance.


End file.
